Corporate report

Minutes of the eleventh meeting of the Libraries Taskforce

Published 20 December 2016

This was published under the 2016 to 2019 May Conservative government

Meeting date: Thursday 8 December: 13.00 to 16.00

Location: Norfolk and Norwich Millennium Library, The Forum, Millennium Plain, Norwich NR2 1AW

Attendees

• Dr Paul Blantern (Chair) – Chief Executive: Northamptonshire County Council
• Kathy Settle – Chief Executive: Libraries Taskforce
• Ian Leete – Senior Policy Adviser, Local Government Association (LGA)
• Neil MacInnes – President: Society of Chief Librarians, Strategic Lead – Libraries, Galleries and Culture, Manchester
• Nick Poole – Chief Executive: Chartered Institute of Librarians and Information Professionals (CILIP)
• Iain Varah – Chief Executive: Vision Redbridge Culture and Leisure and Immediate Past Chair: Chief Cultural & Leisure Officers Association
• Sue Wilkinson – Chief Executive: The Reading Agency
• Brian Ashley – Director, Libraries: Arts Council England
• Felix Greaves – Deputy Director of Science: Public Health England (PHE)
• Rob Field - Public Policy Manager, British Library
• Simon Richardson – Head of Libraries: Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS)
• Julia Chandler – Communications Lead: Libraries Taskforce
• Charlotte Lane – Programme and Project Manager: Libraries Taskforce
• Foluke Oshin – Business Support: Libraries Taskforce
• Sheila Bennett – Policy and Secretariat Manager: Libraries Taskforce

Observers/Secondees

• Nick Partridge - Taskforce Team Secondee: Sheffield

Apologies

• Roly Keating – Chief Executive: British Library
• Pat Ritchie – Chief Executive: Newcastle upon Tyne City Council
• Mike Cooke – Chief Executive: London Borough of Camden
• Rebecca Cox – Principal Policy Adviser: LGA
• Jane Ellison – Head of Creative Partnerships: BBC
• Dominic Lake – Deputy Director of Arts, Libraries & Cultural Property: DCMS

1. Introduction

Prior to the meeting, Taskforce members had a tour of the Norfolk and Norwich Millennium Library. They also had a presentation by Jan Holden and Sarah Hassan of Norfolk Libraries and Information Service on their work to make a difference for people across the county, particularly in the fields of children’s and adults’ literacy, digital literacy and access, health literacy, social literacy and locality development. During this session, they were joined by Councillor Margaret Dewsbury, who chairs the Communities Committee, and they were pleased to hear that she had been using the Ambition document to promote the role of libraries to her colleagues within the county council.

The chair thanked Cllr Dewsbury and the Norfolk Libraries Team for hosting the meeting and for the very interesting presentation over lunch. The Taskforce congratulated the service on their recent CILIP Libraries Change Lives award for their healthy libraries work, and expressed particular interest in learning more about the way in which impact evaluation of projects had been built into their core way of working.

ACTION: Norfolk Library and Information Service to share their healthy libraries and evaluation guide and workbook with the Taskforce.

2. Libraries Deliver: Ambition - Outcome discussion on helping everyone achieve their full potential

The Taskforce has decided to focus each meeting on one or more of the 7 Outcomes. The second of these sessions, led by Nick Poole, focussed on Outcome 4: Helping everyone achieve their full potential.

The aim of the session was for the Taskforce to gain a shared understanding of what the Outcome covers, and the opportunities and challenges involved in meeting the ambitions set out for 2021; learn about some of the differing perspectives of partners involved in taking this work forward; and to consider how they could contribute to and support this work over the coming year.

The Taskforce received presentations from:

• Kingston Public Libraries/Kingston University (Joanne Moulton, Head of Libraries, Museums and Archives, Kingston Council; Dr. Alison Baverstock, Associate Professor, Department of Journalism and Publishing, Kingston University and Director of The KU Big Read; and Wendy Morris, Senior Information Advisor at the LRC in Kingston University)
• Norwich Council Education Libraries Service (Kirsten Francis, Manager for Library Services for Education and public library services for children, young people and families, and service Safeguarding lead, Norfolk County Council Library and Information Service)
• TEN Group/Norwich City College (Corienne Peasgood, Principal, Norwich City College; and Sam Floyd, Head of Library Services, Norwich City College)
• Neil Macinnes, who updated the Taskforce on the Learning Universal Offer
• Sue Wilkinson, who spoke briefly on her previous work for the MLA on the [Generic Learning Outcomes Framework](http://www.artscouncil.org.uk/measuring-outcomes/generic-learning-outcomes (now promulgated through Arts Council England)

These presentations covered a wide range of work where public libraries could link into the work of partners’ to achieve positive contributions to further this Outcome.

Major themes or issues emerging during the session were:

• the increasing importance of information literacy to help people gain the skills to navigate new information sources (digital and health information), and in new contexts (such as the growth of ‘fake news’)
• the different roles public libraries play in life-long learning - both in connecting to and complementing more formal learning institutions, but also a safety net where these fail
• the need for different learning techniques and approaches to cope with new demands and opportunities - for example, the need to cope with multichannel information sources
• the particular importance of helping people gain the new skills needed at learning transition stages; for example, moving between different learning institutions, or gaining confidence and skills to manage self-directed learning
• an increasing growth in demand for study spaces as living accommodation shrinks and space in formal learning establishments comes under pressure
• recognising the vital role of encouraging and supporting learning within a family setting, from the earliest years onwards (since most children’s learning happens outside formal institutions) - the first 1001 days are critical
• building library staff skills and confidence in delivering learning, especially around more advanced digital sessions (such as code clubs, aligning libraries work with school curriculum, use of Microbits, etc)
• the role that library services could play in building a more cohesive and effective learning community by sharing and involving other local learning partners and local communities, thereby stimulating more general links between public libraries and learning groupings (formal and informal)
• the importance of using quality resources (up to date and authoritative) to foster stronger engagement and credibility, alongside the imaginative use of artefacts and other library assets (physical and virtual) to complement books or other literature
• the role of developing robust outcomes measurement and data analysis (increasingly embedded in learning frameworks) in helping to support cases for investment in libraries’ contribution to learning activities

The Taskforce thanked the presenters for their contribution to a stimulating and valuable session, and Nick Poole for stepping forward to lead the Taskforce’s thinking on this Outcome.

ACTION: Nick Poole to draw together the ideas that emerged during the discussion (involving the presenters in doing so) and propose the top 3-4 priority actions for agreement, together with thoughts on how actions and consequent impacts can be tracked. These proposals will be circulated to Taskforce members within 3 weeks of the meeting for comment, and put to the Taskforce for sign-off at its next meeting.

3. Libraries Deliver: Ambition - Follow-up on Outcome discussion on healthier and happier lives

At its previous meeting, the Taskforce discussed Outcome 5, Healthier and happier lives. Based on that discussion, Felix Greaves had drawn together proposals for further action over the next 12 months or so.

ACTIONS

The Taskforce agreed to support the following main activities and the suggested actions in each area.

Develop a programme of communications work across the NHS and Department of Health family of organisations, local authority public health teams, PHE and NHS provider and commissioner organisations to emphasise how libraries can be used to support new models of care delivery, service reconfiguration and financial savings.

Proposed actions include:

• writing to local authorities and NHS organisation chief executives about the Libraries Ambition document
• increase links between libraries and PHE social marketing
• formal engagement with NHS Digital and NHS New Model of Care teams to explore options for collaboration
• undertaking targeted communications work through the journals, events and other channels likely to be of interest to these commissioning groups

Work to identify and, where needed, to strengthen the evidence base around the role of libraries in improving health, especially including financial impact.

Proposed actions included discussing research needs and researchable questions with colleagues at the National Institute for Health Research, the Wellcome Trust and Arts Council England to consider possible opportunities for reducing evidence gaps.

Work together with the team delivering the Universal Health Offer to ensure that it is connected as well as possible with the NHS and public health communities, to develop clinical and health professional engagement in their increasing programme of work; and identify practical ways in which the Taskforce can provide support in this work.

Felix Greaves would work with the Taskforce team to develop a way to track progress and consequent impact against these actions, and to consider how best to promote work on this Outcome to decision-makers (through conferences, correspondence, etc).

All Taskforce members would inform Felix if they came across further projects that could be incorporated into work to progress the successful achievement of this Outcome.

4. Libraries Deliver: Ambition publication and taking forward the action plan

4.1 Publication

The Taskforce was pleased to note that the Libraries Deliver: Ambition document had been published on 1 December. It had been received positively on the whole, though some people had raised concerns about its deliverability in light of funding pressures. The Libraries: Opportunities for Everyone innovation fund had also been launched alongside this.

A series of 4 sector forums had been arranged to promote the document and its action plan. Dates and venues for these were:

• 16 January 2017 - Newcastle Central Library
• 19 January 2017 - Idea Store Whitechapel, London
• 23 January 2017 - M Shed Museum, Bristol
• 26 January 2017 - Victoria House, Birmingham

As part of the agenda, the plan was to hold a panel session of 3-4 Taskforce members at each.

ACTIONS

Taskforce members:

• thanked the Taskforce team for its hard work in getting the document cleared and published
• thanked Arts Council England for its work in launching the Libraries: Opportunities for Everyone innovation fund alongside the Ambition document, given the very tight timescales they were asked to work to
• noted the activities being undertaken to promote the Ambition document and its action plan
• agreed to notify the Taskforce team about which sector forums each member could attend, in order to provide a panel session to discuss the Ambition document at all these events

4.2 Taking forward the action plan

The Taskforce noted the action plan and roadmap which had been circulated.

ACTIONS

The Taskforce:

• noted progress with the actions
• agreed to feed in any comments on the next steps for the actions, and any information / updates on the Roadmap, via email to the Programme Officer
• noted that, for the next Taskforce meeting, the Programme Officer would produce a (beta) summary dashboard * to illustrate progress, particularly focusing on risks and actions to alleviate them

5. Communications Update (Ambition Action 6)

The Taskforce thanked the communications teams of all its organisations for responding so promptly and positively in helping to promote the Ambition launch. Initial feedback had been encouraging.

The main Communications Sub-Group would be meeting on 15 December to develop plans in the wake of the launch. It would focus on ways to take communications beyond this initial stage, looking at ways to improve sharing, boost awareness, and address other communications-related actions in Ambition.

Taskforce members were asked to let the Taskforce Team know wherever they found evidence of the Ambition document being used or quoted to promote, and support delivery of, public libraries, to help build a picture of its impact in influencing decision makers.

ACTIONS

The Taskforce:

• noted activity undertaken around Ambition
• noted ongoing activity in the Communications Sub-Group
• noted the updates on #LovetoRead and National Libraries Week
• noted activity on the Taskforce communication channels
• would let the Taskforce team know wherever they found evidence of the Ambition document being used or quoted to promote, and support delivery of, public libraries

6. Ongoing changes by library authorities

The Taskforce discussed the current proposals under consideration by library authorities. They noted that DCMS was actively undertaking discussions with a number of councils putting forward proposals such as Lancashire, Swindon and Walsall.

The Taskforce acknowledged that library service reductions were being proposed in the context of wider budgetary constraints that affected all services, and that no council wanted to consider significant reductions in library services.

ACTIONS

The Taskforce:

• debated the current position on significant planned or proposed changes to library service provision in a number of local authorities
• noted actions being undertaken by the DCMS Libraries team
• emphasised the usefulness of sharing intelligence on possible upcoming changes, and working together to increase impact

7. Support for Community Managed Libraries (Ambition Actions 11 and 18)

The Taskforce considered a report updating them on work being undertaken to support community managed libraries. This is through undertaking research into their effectiveness and sustainability to help improve the guidance provided through the existing Community Libraries toolkit, and by supporting the establishment of a peer network for community libraries.

ACTIONS

The Taskforce noted:

• the activity underway on research and establishing the peer support network
• that update reports will be provided as this work progresses

8. Oral Updates

The Taskforce received brief updates on the following:

8.1 Libraries: Opportunities for Everyone innovation fund (Ambition Action 12)

The fund was launched on 1 December, alongside the Ambition document, and was open for bids from 5 December to 6 January. Arts Council England was managing the fund and was holding external briefings for those interested in bidding. Take-up was expected to be high. All applications needed to be put forward by a library service but consortium-based bids and bids with partners were encouraged.

8.2 Public Library Skills Strategy (Ambition Action 19)

The working group (which involved frontline staff as well as service heads) had held a series of meetings, with scoping discussions covering varied issues such as workforce profiling, diversity, skills mapping, and career paths and information. It was on track to produce a strategy by the March deadline in the action plan.

8.3 All-Party Parliamentary Group (Ambition Actions 6 and 7)

CILIP had been working with SCL and the Taskforce to co-ordinate a Libraries All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG Libraries) event at the House of Lords. CILIP will be inviting Parliamentarians with the intention that the event should act as the refresh of the APPG which had been dormant for some time. The first meeting of the reconstituted group would take place on 31 January. It was to be hosted by Lord Tope, although a chairman had yet to be confirmed.

8.4 Single Library Digital Presence (Ambition Action 20)

A roundtable meeting chaired by Martyn Evans of Carnegie Trust, and hosted by Arts Council England, had taken place on 2 December. It had been well attended, including by the devolved administrations. The next steps were:

• preparation of a public position paper by the end of January, to be co-published by Carnegie/Arts Council England
• development of a proposition for moving towards an ‘alpha’ style development process
• attendees had been asked to discuss within their organisations what future support each might be prepared to offer to the project

8.5 Libraries data

Options for the publication of the basic dataset were under consideration. The Taskforce noted the publication of CIPFA statistics on public libraries across the UK on 8 December; numbers other than e-book loans appeared to have fallen. Comparison with the basic dataset was problematic because of differing definitions. This is likely also to be the case when the Carnegie dataset was published in spring 2017. The Taskforce team would discuss with Carnegie to ensure that narratives comparing the datasets were agreed and aligned.

8.6 Mutuals support

A blog on this from the government’s Director of Mutuals had been published on the Taskforce site. There would be a programme of dedicated support offered in this financial year for councils wishing to explore the possibilities of spinning their library service out into a public service mutual, including providing some peer support and mentoring by existing library mutuals.

8.7 E-lending

DCMS updated the Taskforce on progress towards delivering the government’s manifesto commitment to ensure that public library users have access to remote e-book lending with authors receiving appropriate remuneration for this e-lending.

Remote e-lending is now available from most public library services in the UK and the level of e-lending is increasing. The Minister for Digital and Culture confirmed at Report stage of the Digital Economy Bill on 28 November that the Government intends to legislate as soon as possible to extend the existing Public Lending Right (that remunerates author and other rights holders for the public lending of physical and audiobooks) to include the remote lending of e-books. DCMS is therefore working to bring forward the necessary legislative amendment as soon as possible.

ACTION: The Taskforce noted the current position and progress underway on each of the issues.

9. Taskforce meetings and governance

9.1 Taskforce minutes and 6 monthly report

The Taskforce noted that the minutes from the last Taskforce meeting (30 September) had been cleared by correspondence and published on GOV.UK. The latest 6 monthly progress report (covering April to September 2016) had also been published on GOV.UK.

Action log

The only outstanding actions were:

• publishing the basic dataset - options for doing so are under consideration
• inviting BFI to the July meeting where the Cultural Outcome will be discussed - the invitation will go to them as soon as the date and venue have been fixed

9.2 Forward programme

The Forward programme lists the proposed dates and venues for future Taskforce meetings. The Taskforce noted that the next 3 meetings would be held on:

• 9 February 2017 at Redbridge’s South Woodford venue
• 29 March 2017 at the Hive in Worcestershire
• 25 May at the Free Word Centre, The Reading Agency offices in London

ACTIONS

Agreed that the Taskforce:

• note the proposed dates and scheduled items
• would send suggestions for potential venues for future meetings from July 2017 onwards, or any further items to be programmed for future meetings, to the Policy and Secretariat Manager

9.3 Membership

The chair reported that Pat Ritchie (Chief Executive, Newcastle upon Tyne City Council) and Mike Cooke (Chief Executive, LB Camden) had tendered their resignations due to time pressures. The LGA were considering possible candidates to replace them to represent local government on the Taskforce. These would need to be shared with the Minister for Civil Society as joint sponsor of the Taskforce. Details of successors would be notified to the Taskforce as soon as appointed.

ACTION: The Taskforce recorded its thanks to Pat Ritchie and Mike Cooke for their valued contribution to the work of the Taskforce during their membership.

10. AOB

Arts Council England reported that it would set up the research roundtable it had planned in the new year.